


Similar

by Mosspool13



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-13 15:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18034517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosspool13/pseuds/Mosspool13
Summary: Nott narrows her eyes. "What do you mean."Fjord looks around and then shrugs. "We're not really goin' anywhere soon, so let's talk. Clear the air?""There's nothing I want to talk with you about.""Are you sure?" Fjord's mouth pulls into a smirk and Nott grinds her teeth. There's something about his face that really annoys her. "Cause now's the time to bring it up."





	Similar

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off what Sam said in the most recent Talks Machina discussing Episode 53 of Campaign 2
> 
> "I think, deep down, she thinks that she and Fjord are not that different actually. And that bugs her. They're both greens, they both drowned, they both have a past they are trying to hide... they both secretly love Caleb--I think, she and Fjord are too similar." -Sam Riegel
> 
> I think Sam was mostly joking about the Fjord loves Caleb part, but what if, amirite?

It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get in, defeat the baddies, get out. Then they'd collect the reward and be on their merry way.

Of course, things were never that simple when it came to the Mighty Nein.

They'd tracked the band of outlaws to an underground cavern not unlike when they'd followed those gnolls in Alfield. This time, however, there was no manticore, no manticore baby for Nott to stab, and no Shakaste to ally. It was just some brigands, a cave smelling like sweat, dirt and old socks, and an old crooked-toothed mage with delusions of grandeur.

They were fighting. The air was crackling with energy from a flurry of Fjord's eldritch blasts, Caleb's fire spells, and the enemy mage's own magic. Jester was whacking enemies upside the head with her lollipop, giggling as she went, and Beau was punching faces alongside Yasha's clean cuts with her sword. Caduceus was in the back keeping an eye on the others, whispering healing spells and buffing friends where he could. And Nott. Well. She was sneaking between rocky crags and shooting crossbow bolts from the shadows. 

It was going perfectly. 

That was until the enemy mage decided, well, fuck it, what do I have to lose? My life? Pfft. And shot a fireball within close quarters, obliterating his allies and knocking stones from the cavern ceiling. 

"Fuck!" Beau shouted, dodging a rock that was large enough to cave in her skull. "What the fuck. Move!" She shoved one of the baddies aside and leapt over a fallen enemy to land beside Nott. "This place is coming down. We need to get out." She growled. 

Nott shot another crossbow, sending one of the enemies to the floor over Beau's shoulder. "Ok, yeah, right, okay, let's go. Where's everyone?" A rock fell just to Nott's side and she jumped, surprised and looked around. It was hard to see with the sediment falling around them and the rumbling of the cave as it shook and crumbled. Beau grabbed Nott's shoulder and yanked her to her feet as they began to make their way through the chaos. 

"Jester! Fjord? Deucey?" Beau shouted. 

"Caleb??? Yasha!?" Nott screamed out. 

There was a muffled shout of a reply, and Beau dashed in front of Nott after it, but when Nott went to join, a stone fell in front of her face and she was forced to come to a skidding halt. "Fuck." She cursed and went around it, but found that she could no longer see Beau in the chaos.

"Beau? Where'd you go? Hello?!"

Nott was about to keep going when a hand grabbed her ankle. She screamed and jumped and turned around and found the enemy mage, blood pouring down his face and crooked-tooth missing, hissing at her from below. "Fucking--" She quickly scrambled for her crossbow but before she could aim it, a boot came down and kicked the mage away from her. Nott looked up into Fjord's panting face, his eyes wide.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." He said, grabbing Nott's elbow and yanking her forward. She wrenched free of his grip, bristling a little but nodded and the two of them dashed off across the cavern to where they thought the entrance was.

Only the entrance was gone. Completely filled in by the rocks that had dislodged from the stupid mage's fireball.

Fjord scowled at the wall of stones. "And this is exactly why I told you Fluffernutter was a bad idea."

Nott glared up at him. "Well when we did use it that one time it worked  _perfectly_ so fuck you."

Fjord snorted. "Sure." He glanced down at her. "You've been cursing a lot more lately. Hangin' out with Beau too much?"

She waved him off, irritated and beginning to get anxious. "Forget that! Where are the others? Is Caleb okay? Where are they? Where is Caleb!?"

"Calm down. They got out. Everyone but you. I came back to get you cause Beau is fast, but I can go through rocks."

"Oh." Nott sighed and then stood up straighter, holding out her hand. "Okay, fine, whatever, do your," she wiggled her outstretched fingers, "thunder, thing, and get us out of here."

Fjord scratched his cheek, looking sheepish. "Uh, that's the thing. 'm not like you or Caleb or Jester, or even Caduceus. I can do big spells, but my stamina's not--" Nott smirked at him and Fjord blushed and frowned at her, and then bit out, "That battle tapped me out."    

"So we're stuck."

"We're stuck."

"Great." Nott sat down heavily against the wall, staring out across the debris-laden internal cavern. The rocks had stopped falling and now were littered across the ground. There were bodies here and there, including that of the mage that caused the issue in the first place. He was lying a few feet away, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Nott couldn't tell if he was dead or not.

Fjord stayed standing, knocking on the rocks with the back of his fist and looking at the stones intensely. "I think Jester could turn herself into that big, sloth creature and burrow us out, maybe. But if we rest a little while I could bamf us out of here."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"...an hour or so."

"I'm going to hold out for Jester, if you don't mind."

"Fair."

Fjord moved over so he could stare out at the damage around them before he turned back to Nott, who had closed her eyes at this point. "Hey, Nott." She opens her eyes to look at him and he continues, "Maybe we should talk."  

Nott narrows her eyes. "What do you mean."

Fjord looks around and then shrugs. "We're not really goin' anywhere soon, so let's talk. Clear the air?"

"There's nothing I want to talk with you about."

"Are you sure?" Fjord's mouth pulls into a smirk and Nott grinds her teeth. There's something about his face that really annoys her. "Cause now's the time to bring it up."

Nott sat up. "You know what, fine, I do have some things to say to you." She'd been gearing up for a good talking-down-to for a while now, ever since their escapade in the ocean, and seeing all the uncomfortable, sad faces Jester makes at Fjord's back when he isn't looking. Staring up at his polite smile, she opens her mouth and she goes to town. "You're an asshole, you've been treating me like a child, and you've been treating Jester like a child too! Belittling her feelings. You don't deserve her, and I won't stand for you mistreating her, you hear me?"  

Fjord's mouth twitches, and Nott can't tell if he's making fun of her or if he is actually affected by her words. She continues, gearing up with real anger. "Half the time, it doesn't seem like you care about anything you do, you've never apologized to Caleb for pointing a sword at him, and not about nearly getting us all killed by a _dragon._ " Fjord opens his mouth but Nott holds up a hand, "yes, I know you apologized to Jester, but that doesn't _count_ we were all in danger. It should be a collective thing." She huffed out a breath. "And you're a dick." She paused, thought some more. "and really, buttons? I love buttons but really?" She paused again. "Okay, I'm done."

Fjord raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? That was a lot."

"Yeah, quite sure." She paused to let out a breath. She felt lighter all of a sudden. "Actually, that felt really good."

Fjord smiled. "I bet." His smile slipped off and he looked suddenly serious, Nott paused and stared at him as he continued, "I'm sorry, Nott. About forcing you those times on the boat, in the ocean. I know I 'pologized earlier, but, we didn't really have a chance to have a real talk about it all." He sat down next to her and Nott shifted over a bit to make sure there was space between them. She could get a good look at his profile this way, the way the dim lighting played on the side of his green jaw. "If I'd known you have drowned, I wouldn'ta tried to joke you into the water like that. I know how... hard it is to get past trauma like that." He side-eyed her and Nott nodded. The fact they had both drowned was something Nott had been very aware of, after Fjord had revealed bits of his past to them. She was a bit uncomfortable with that fact, actually, not just because they were drowning victims... but also she was very aware of the identical shade of their skin, and the masks they wore.

She and Fjord were a lot alike in ways she didn't like. At all. Especially in ways that counted. Maybe that was why she was so annoyed with him... because she felt that they were too similar and Fjord's behavior somehow reflected on hers? Or that maybe she felt that she understood the things he did, the way he acted, more than she would like.

Fjord wasn't a bad man, Caleb had said so, once, while they were leaning against each other in the (then) _Squall-Eater_ , contemplating their limited survival. He was just too wrapped up in his head, thinking in the now rather than two steps ahead. It was one of the reasons Nott was so adamant about Caleb being a better leader than Fjord could ever be. Caleb thought twenty steps ahead. Always.

And he was just... you know, better. The best. Perfect for the job. Who could compare?

"And... I do feel bad about the dragon. I _never_ would have touched that map if I'd known." Fjord added, after the quiet moment had settled around them.

Nott nudged his shoulder with hers a moment. "You know, I was mostly being mean about that one. That was more of an accident."

Fjord shrugged, nudging her back. "Yeah, well." His claws migrated to his mouth and one began to scratch at the tip of a tusk, just beginning to poke out. Nott grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand down, forcefully, so that it was clutched in her lap.

That was another thing. The crippling self-esteem issues. Nott identified way too much with that--her body was a foreign object to her. She missed herself, and though their circumstances are different, Fjord's image issues were just like her own.

"Stop. Picking at them." Nott hissed, glaring at Fjord. His mouth twitched again and Nott was sure this time that he was amused. She scowled at him. "You haven't apologized for Jester yet."

Fjord blinked and then looked away, staring out at the debris and the bodies in the cavern. His hand moved in hers, as if he were trying to move it back to his mouth to pick at his teeth, and Nott's hold tightened on his arm. "There... isn't much I can do about Jester, Nott."

"Well, I don't know, how about talking to her for once about it, or letting her down gently. _Gently_ , so that she's not pining after you."  

Fjord flushed. "She's not... _pining_."

Nott stared at him like he was dumb. He sighed. "I just don't... feel that way about her."

"Then all the more reason to talk to her. Let her know." Nott perked up, hand tightening around Fjord's just a little so that her nails pricked into his skin, making him wince. She didn't notice. "Then I can set her up with Caleb!"

Fjord's head moved towards hers so fast that Nott winced in sympathy. "You--What?" He seemed to try to get a hold of himself, expression smoothing out into his friendly face of polite interest. But Nott had seen his face, for just a second, the fear in his eyes. "Why Caleb?"

Nott leaned up into Fjord's personal space, her eyes wide. She pushed her weight onto his hand and Fjord's face screwed up in pain. "Nott, you're sitting on my--"

"You like him! You like Caleb!" Fjord froze and Nott's eyes widened even more. "That's why you've been rebuffing Jester! Because, really, who isn't in love with Jester? But _Caleb_ and you know, good choice, he's amazing and--" she paused and scowled, "but you can't have him. Not unless he wants you back and you change your ways, okay? Apologizing to me isn't enough! And I have to approve, and right now I don't approve. Not until you prove yourself." She sat back and let go of Fjord's hand and he instantly cradled it, wincing as he massaged the muscles and bones.

"Ow."

Nott sniffed. "Well? Do you agree to my terms?"

"What terms? I'm not gonna do anything about it." He was scowling at the floor, rubbing his hand as he said it.

Nott leaned forward again and Fjord leaned away, wary, but all she did was point her finger at him. "If this is a thing about your tusks or your looks--"

"No," Fjord interrupted before he winced. "Ok, a little, but really it's because I know he doesn't feel that way about me." 

Nott sat back down and crossed her arms. "Well of course not, you haven't shown yourself to be deserving. I wonder why Jester likes you at all, sometimes." That was a lie. She had only admitted it to Caleb, but she did love everyone in the Nein, including Fjord, despite how he got on her nerves sometimes. And Fjord was handsome, and when he wasn't being a dick, he was a good man. Like Caleb had said. Nott frowned. Caleb had said that, hadn't he? Maybe Fjord did have a chance after all. 

At that moment, the sound of rocks being pulled aside had them both looking up and moving as a snout pushed its way through a crack in the path and then two large claws tore through the rest of the debris. A familiar sloth-shaped Jester appeared with the rest of their party in tow. 

"Ah, the cavalry has arrived." Fjord said, getting to his feet and looking like himself again. Put together and polite. Nott remembers again why she doesn't like his masks, even the ones that don't change his face or voice. But she wears one too, sometimes, thinking of her porcelain mask and the one she wears everyday--the one that doesn't look like Veth. 

Caleb reaches Nott first. "Are you alright?" 

Nott smiles up at Caleb. "Yeah, it was fine. We mostly just talked." 

Caleb blinked. "You and Fjord?" He paused. "Are you sure everything is alright?" 

Nott grinned and waved him off. "Of course, Caleb! And you know," she poked him in the arm, "Fjord is pretty handsome." 

Caleb looked confused. " _Ja_ , I am aware." 

Nott nodded. "Good, just wanted to make sure you knew." She walked away from him, catching out of the corner of her eye Fjord looking at her with his eyes narrowed. She winked at him and his mouth thinned into a line but she ignored it and went over to take Jester's hand, which was her regular hand now because she was no longer a sloth.

"Nott! You are okay, that's great! You're not hurt or anything? I can heal you up really good!" 

Nott shook her head, smiling at Jester. Really, Fjord, how could you not love Jester? "I'm good. Didn't get hurt or anything," she tugged on Jester's hand. "You know, Fjord is cool and all, but we should talk about girls some time." 

Jester giggled. "Do you mean like how Beau likes girls, or how you like girls?" 

Nott grinned back and they swung their hands between them like sisters would. "I mean how you like girls." 

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fluffy Fjord and Nott talking things out kinda piece that was inspired by Sam Riegel. And me being weird and wanting to write something kinda silly. And Nott being awesome.


End file.
